Pickstarter: Be A Part Of History With PROJECT HYENA DIORAMA

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I’d be willing to wager that if you’re reading this article on this site, chances are that at least in some way, you have a reverence for the scientific world. Some of you science-loving folks may have, from time to time, visited a museum to satiate your thirst for knowledge. Well, one of the best museums the country has to offer needs your help with a new yet extremely old project.

The Chicago Field Museum is looking for your help with their new Indiegogo campaign to rehab an exhibit that’s literally more than a century old. Chief Curiosity Correspondent for the Chicago Field Museum and person with the coolest job title in the world, Emily Graslie will explain:

As Emily explains in the video – decades ago, 20 dioramas were planned, but only 19 were finished due to the hard times brought on by The Great Depression, and the 20th diorama space was boarded up for over eight decades. What to do with that space? Well, the plan is to move the four striped hyena specimens from 1899 that have inexplicably been in the reptile hall for years and give them a proper home in the Hall of Mammals where they belong!

“We want to make valuable connections with people from all over the world to prove that our museum is your museum and to allow you to conserve history with us.”

It’s important to remember that museums reach the public in ways that the internet may never be able to. The Field Museum is already home to some impressive specimens including Sue the dinosaur – the largest, most extensive and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex specimen ever found. Having seen Sue in real life, there is nothing dinosaur-related I’ve experienced in life, on website, or in any YouTube video that has had more of an impact on me than being face to face with her. Well, except maybe this video.

“Because of our hall of mammals, we’re allowed a unique insight into the habitats of southeast Asia at the end of the 19th century which is something that can’t be replicated in public spaces anywhere else.”

Check out the Indiegogo campaign here. They’ve got an amazing assortment of perks and by donating money you’re literally preserving history for generations to come. When it comes down to it, museums are important. They give us a glimpse of the past while inspiring us for the future.

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What are your favorite childhood memories of museum visits? I once met Robert Ballard from the Jason Project at a museum when SeaquestDSV was in its prime. Needless to say that was HUGE for me. Go on, share a story about how museums impacted your life in the comments below!